Category Archives: Literary Journals

My Life Lately

On Friday I picked up a navy gift bag of Kana’s cremains from the vet’s office. The ashes are in a little cedar box, and they came with a pawprint and two tiny vials of fur marked “Kana Castle.” I’m going to order a little brass plate for the box, just as I did for Tiger Queenie Princess Mimi, Felix, Pear Blossom, and Macavity. Of course, I took photos of everything, but I won’t trigger you by posting them! Everything is on the bookshelf altar of my late furbabies.

The wonderful Cleaver Magazine has published a flash story I wrote about being a medical student on “Grand Rounds” with a mentor/teacher doctor: Another Week Left of Grand Rounds with Dr. Webber

The flash editor Kathryn Kulpa worked with me on little revisions. She was very helpful. Her new chapbook was just released, and I ordered it, but it hasn’t arrived yet. Here is her book launch: For Every Tower, a Princess book launch You can hear little short readings from some of the other Cleaver faculty.

The baby goes to “school” part-time, and Grandpa and I have him part-time. He is very active, preferring to be crawling rather than sitting still, and standing rather than crawling, climbing rather than standing, and he can’t wait to walk on his own, which he can already do while holding my hands. He turned 8 months old Thursday. I set up 3 electric jack o’lanterns to get him used to Halloween! He LOVES his swim lessons. He even will float on his back with one hand under the back. And if I ask him if he likes school, he laughs a gleeful sound. He doesn’t say anything yet, but I am working on “grandma” being his first word. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

It’s been hard to write, between the baby, my painful legs (tendinitis all over), and lots of other life stuff going on, but I plan to take Kathy Fish’s Immersion tomorrow. It’s a 3 day writing party that is free if you are a paid subscriber to Kathy’s substack, which I am. The Art of Flash Fiction Sign up if you want to join me there Sunday, Monday, Tuesday!!!

 

 

 

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What’s Going On

Editor Jeff Harvey at the brand new really hot lit journal Gooseberry Pie published one of my stories. The journal only publishes six sentence stories. Try to write one if you haven’t. They are really fun.

Another thing going on is that Mad Swirl journal has published their annual anthology, and along with many stories and poems, they have featured the work of four artists. One of those is me, if you can believe it. Two of my collages. The anthology is available on Amazon.

It sounds like I’m busy, and I am, but mostly with taking care of my baby grandson all day! What a cutie. The only trouble is fitting in work, writing, art, and my daily walk. We’re working it out though, and he’s been so good today. However, yesterday, I typed a 100 word first draft with one hand while I held him!

I’m closing comments just because I it’s hard to respond one-handed–at least until I get used to it!

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The Past Holds No Reality for Me at Masticadores USA

Editor Barbara Harris Leonhard has published my Remedios Varo inspired flash fiction story, “The Past Holds No Reality for Me,” at Masticadores USA. More surreal fun!!!

I would love it if you comment over there, if you have time. Turning off comments here. Hope you are having your best kind of weekend!

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Flash Boulevard: Three Stories, Art Inspirations

The famous-for-flash Flash Boulevard has published three of my flash fiction stories. A big thank you to Editor Francine Witte, who is a well-known flash fiction writer.

I’m very excited to have my stories published at Flash Boulevard because they publish the best flash fiction writers, so to think that my stories are keeping company over there is dreamy.

The first two stories are inspired by Remedios Varo stories. The third was written after seeing Frida Kahlo’s “Wounded Deer” painting, although the story is not itself ekphrastic. Instead, it is about living with a variety of illness and health conditions. They are all surreal and yet relate to matters of the human heart. Please feel free to comment at the site. I will close comments here.

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Uncatitional Love, Award-Winning Story at Writer Advice

My 100-word story, “Uncatitional Love,” was one of nine winners at the Writer Advice Flash Micro Contest. I won $30, which is quite extraordinary!

This story was inspired by all the cats who have ever been part of my life. My story is listed first of the nine when you go into the link, but enjoy some of the others while you’re in there. Image is from Pexels, not one of my cats.

https://writeradvice.com/the-contest-winners-are/?fbclid=IwAR0uz3jLk53BTkkVF7Us3eR5IQlz224QJaMTwKQgd2v0QGPpHsfJi90hrEg

I’ve been very migrainatious for the past week or more, so I didn’t participate in #TankaTuesday last week. Not sure if I will this week or not as it depends how I am feeling. So we will see . . . .

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The Shadow’s Man at Masticadores USA

Editor Barbara Harris Leonhard has published my Remedios Varo inspired 100-word story The Shadow’s Man at Masticadores USA. Hope you like another fun time in Varo’s surreal world.

Here’s an image of the Varo:

By Kati Horna - Original publication: unknownImmediate source: http://www.femmespeintres.net/peintres/mod/varo.htm, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62799123

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101 Words Published by 101 Words, Or the Story of a Cat and a Woman

Editor Shoshauna Shy has published my 101-word story, “Home is Where the Heart Is,” at 101 Words.

This story was inspired by my dear cat Perry.

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Best Small Fictions 2024 Nominee

What a thrilling morning. The Dribble Drabble Review has nominated my micro story “Historia de La Iglesia Católica del Sagrado Corazón” for Best Small Fictions 2024. This is a huge honor, and I am so tickled.

Here is the story, which I have posted before.

I know I don’t talk about rejections very often, but I sure get them. I had fun with one of them, making an erasure out of it and posted in on Facebook where it was seen by the editor of the amazing MacQueen’s Quinterly who posted it with some other rejection erasures. They are all funny so take a quick look!

http://www.macqueensquinterly.com/MacQ21/Rejection-Erasures.aspx

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Trying the Abhanga: #TankaTuesday

This is Part I of 2, Winter Solstice (December 21 – January 4) Touji season for Colleen Chesebro’s #TankaTuesday challenge based on the 24 Japanese seasons.

I decided to try an abhanga, which is an Indian form of 6-6-6-4 syllables with lines 2 and 3 rhyming. Generally, this form is–I believe–a religious poem form. I have bolded the kigo words.

This first poem is about Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women. In the book, Mrs. March shows the girls how to begin their Christmas by delivering food and care to a starving, freezing German immigrant family. In the mid-nineteenth century, Germans were one of the main groups immigrating to the United States. But the March family was living without the father for the time-being, and they were quite poor themselves. The girls ate bread and milk for Christmas breakfast because that was all that was left after feeding the strangers.

DELIVERING THE FAMILY’S BREAKFAST TO THE POOR IMMIGRANTS

Alcott’s Little Women

models Christmasy love

gifting others above

that of one’s self

***

Here’s another poem that uses kigos that fit with my daily life.

THE SEASON OF DAILY WALKS

on my pink sunrise walks

the wren and the robin

sing sweet carols, all in

for the season

***

I submitted the second section of my unpublished memoir to the Tucson Festival of Books contest. I received notice that it is a finalist for the contest. Last year the first section was a finalist in the same contest. I have been joking that I’m “always a bridesmaid,” although I am grateful that it is a finalist

Here’s a fun 101-word story published by the journal 101 Words. Hope you find it humorous!

https://101words.org/small-battles/

I’ve been working on the 5 minute challenge hosted by The Ugly Art Club. These are the first three spreads I completed. The prompts, in order, are CYCLE, LUNAR, and SLOTS.

May your holidays be healthy and happy. XO

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Incident at Shady Acres

In October I discovered that my flash story “Incident at Shady Acres” was first runner up in the Julia Peterkin Literary Awards sponsored by South 85 Journal. Now the issue has been published with the winning story and the runners up.

I hope you like this ecofiction story. Pretty pleased with this one. https://www.south85journal.com/winter-2023/incident-at-shady-acres-by-luanne-castle/

Here’s an adobe preview image of a haboob.

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